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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a skill
  6. stand — to bear
  7. can — to be able to
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wind — moving air
  11. field — a subject
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — boats
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. key — in music
  19. wind — moving air
  20. chair — a leader
  21. field — for sport
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. field — farmland

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com